Can You Live By It?
by Shidonii-kun
Summary: Shidonii is plagued with misfortune. She bares a decision-One that will change the world forever. The choice is hers, and hers alone. For most, the choice is obvious:Kill Tobi and get it over with. But alas, Shidonii is not most ninja. She is the daughter of Tobi, and can hardly stand the thought of killing her father. But leaving him to ruin the world? That is not a choice either.
1. Daddy

Okay, before you read on, it is fair to warn you that this is the third story in a series! If you are interested in it, go read the first, then the second. It's "Love the Enemy"then "The Red String of Fate." They may suck a bit in the beginning, but that's because I needed to get into a story. It will get good soon! And for those of you who have read and loved my stories from the beginning, this is for you! I love you all! Thank you so much!

"Dad?"I felt like a little girl who had been separated from her father for a long time, and upon finally seeing him, I was at a loss for what to do. I felt a great number of emotions at the time. I was angry, sad, shocked, and surprised. Tobi was my father? It just didn't make sense.

The Genjutsu was broken, but my sword was still raised in the air. I was ready to strike if I needed to. Naruto and Aki were watching us, waiting for something to happen. Tobi opened his arms, and I couldn't resist running to him. I really was acting like a child. I threw my katana to the side, and ran to him. We embraced, and it gave me such a warm feeling…one I hadn't felt in a long time. I had him back. The only family member I could recall…my dad...

"Shidonii... My little girl... It is so good to have you back..." He petted the back of my head, and I couldn't help but feel safe there. I felt loved, and safe. Even so, I knew what this man was capable of. He had killed Konan, and I knew he wouldn't be afraid to kill me if he needed to. It was difficult to suppress this knowledge that Tobi was truly a heartless man, but I just felt so safe there in his arms…

"Tobi... er…Dad... Why would you do this? Why would you put a jutsu on me and try to even accomplish the eye of the moon plan?" I wanted answers. I wanted a reason to make him the good guy again; to make it so I wouldn't have to kill him.

"Shidonii..." He spoke in a different tone now, different than anything before... It wasn't the childish tone from when he first joined Akatsuki, or the deep, pensive tone he usually had. The way he spoke now had a comforting air about it. It made me want to say where I was, wrapped in his embrace. "The only reason I placed you under the jutsu was so you could grow in power. Do you not remember how you never wanted to be powerful when you we're younger? I did this so you could reach your full potential. You always thought I would be there to protect you..." I recalled my childhood, memories that were once so far flew to mind in flashes.

"Daddy, all I need is you! I know you'll always be there to protect me!" I giggled as I skipped over to my bow.

"Shidonii, you need to learn how to defend yourself! You are a ninja, and need to start thinking like one."

"But Daddy, I thought I was a miko?!"

"Shidonii, I've told you before." He said picking me up. "You are my special little girl. You are going to be wonderful miko, and a powerful ninja."

"I guess…if you say so!" I laughed and hugged his neck. I remember feeling so happy back then, unaware of how contradictory my roles really were.

"But why did you take the Jinchuuriki? And cause all this pain to all of these people?"

"I had to prove to you that I wouldn't always be there for you, if I played the role of the bad guy, how could I protect you? You would have been forced to learn to protect yourself, and be on your own. But that's in the past now. What we need to do is leave this place." For an instance, I felt weightless, before I blacked out.

Aki's P.O.V.

"Did she just call Tobi dad?"

"Yeah... And he called her his little girl... You don't think...?"

"We can't deny it. Shidonii is Tobi's daughter." I didn't want believe it at first, but I guess that kind of just confirmed it. I want to know what happened when she was in his Genjutsu. How could she remember anything after that?" I turned to look at Naruto. "How do you think she was able to remember?"

"Well... Maybe he was the one who sealed her memories in the first place…that's the only way that makes sense to me."

"You could be right... Let's go find Garra and the others. They'll need to know this too..."

"Right." We took off in a hurry, knowing it was no use to try and look for Shidonii. I doubted Tobi would take her to the base, especially considering that I knew the location. But where else would he go? And What about Deidara? Where was he?

Deidara's P.O.V.

"Hey! Wait a minute, un! We're on your side!" I cried, as Shidonii's Sensei tried running toward me, ready to attack. He stopped, but I don't think he believed me...

"Why should we trust you?"

"Calm down... He's okay..." Gaara said. I was thankful that he spoke up for me.

"Are you sure?" He spoke again. They weren't the only ones there. There was the girl who Danna wanted to turn into a puppet, another guy, and the Kazekage's group as well. But Naruto was missing too...

"Yes. Shidonii came to visit us with him the other day, but I had hoped she wouldn't have revived Sasori of the Red Sand."

Right... Sasori and his whole problem with Suna...

"Must we drag on about that? Frankly, I'm more concerned about the future than the past."

"Really?" I said. "Where is the Nine Tails, un? We need to make sure he's there when Shidonii fights Tobi, un." I wanted to be there to help her, but I had no idea where they had gone.

"We sent Aki and him to a different location. It's good to know that Shidonii is there too. She can be of some help."

Suddenly a familiar voice cut through our conversation. "Kakashi Sensei! You're not going to believe this!" It was Naruto, yelling like a mad man as he and Aki burst into the clearing. Had they killed Tobi? And why wasn't Shidonii with them?

"Calm down Naruto." Kakashi said. "What's going on?"

"It's about Tobi and Shidonii." Aki spoke, as Naruto gripped his knees, trying to catch his breath.

He tried to interject anyway. "It's insane! We think that Shidonii... maybe...!" He wheezed. I think he was just so excited to get here, he ended up expelling quite a bit of extra energy. I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at the urgency in their voices. I hoped something bad hadn't happened.

"We think Shidonii may be Tobi's daughter."

I was unable to speak for a moment. That was ridiculous. How could that be possible?

The dumbstruck feeling faded just enough for me to inquirer further."What do you mean, un! Why do you think that?"

Aki sighed. "During the battle, Shidonii had acted as though she was on Tobi's side, but turned on him in the end. She got caught in his Genjutsu, and afterward, she ran into his arms, and started calling him 'dad.' We came to the conclusion that Tobi had her under some sort of jutsu that made her forget her past, and during the middle of the fight, he dispelled it."

It made a little more sense now. Maybe that was why he was always so close by… He was simply waiting for the right moment...

"So you never cared for her?" I growled. I couldn't help but become enraged, listening to what he was telling me.

"I do, yes. It seems like she has managed to work her way into my heart. Even so, if she gets in my way, I will have no choice but to stop her by less than tactful means if necessary. "

The dialogue we had exchanged made sense now. He would stop her…by giving her past back. But I wanted to know his motive for sealing her memories away in the first place. "

"So do you know where they went?" Gaara asked.

"No, they just disappeared." Aki said shaking her head. "I have no idea where they could be. I highly doubt they would return to Akatsuki hideout; too many people know where it is now."

They were probably at a place no one knew about. It was probably someplace that would keep them safe from the war.

It was strange, many of the conversations I had had with Shidonii and Tobi. Seemingly mundane conversations were becoming quite important in figuring out this whole mystery with Shidonii. I remembered her saying the house we stayed at was her childhood home.

"I think I know where they are, un!" I cried. Everyone stared at me like I had grown another head.

"We'll spit it out, brat! Where should we look?" Sasori barked.

"When I first was revived, we stayed in a house by a remote village, un. Shidonii said that was where she grew up. I bet Tobi would take her there, considering that it's not the obvious location of the Akatsuki hide out, and it's pretty far from the war that's going on."

"Hmm... We should check there. But some people should stay behind." I didn't want to be near them longer than I have to be..

"I'll go with Sasori-Danna if that's alright, un." Even if these people we're Shidonii's friends, it doesn't mean I had to like them...

"You can't go alone! I'm coming too!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice rough.

"And don't think I'm not coming too!"Aki chimed in.

Apparently the idea of leaving others behind was given up pretty quickly.

"Okay. We need to hurry!" Before anyone else could join our little rescue team, I set of in the direction of the village. It would take a little while to get there, but hopefully Shidonii would be okay until then...

As we ran toward the village, I took note of our rag-tag little rescue group. We had The nine tailed Jinchuuriki, an Uchiha girl, a puppet gone human and of course, myself, Tobi. Even though we made a motley bunch, I was hoping our combined strength would be enough to save Shidonii.


	2. Mangekyou Sharingan

"Where am I...?" I slowly sat up, holding my head. I was still feeling a bit groggy. I couldn't make sense of my surroundings, but from what I could see, there was a dark coat draped over the chair in front of me. It looked like an Akatsuki cloak…

I tried to recall what happened to me, closing my eyes I tried to focus. Naruto was there, so was Aki, and Tobi as well…

Suddenly I could recall the events of the day. The battle I had with Tobi, deceiving him until I found out...

"It's good to see that you're awake."

I looked up, and could see Tobi looking down at me from his place across the room. I rubbed my head, recalling what he had told me.

"Yeah... Uhh... Tobi...? Dad... Uhh... man..." It was so weird! I didn't know what to call him now… I didn't know what to think of him either...

He chuckled. "I realize it may be a bit confusing. You can just call me whatever you like until it all sets in."

"Mm..." I looked around. We were in our house. Many memories lived here... "Why are we here?" Since I destroyed his mask, I could clearly see his face. His black hair was ruffled, and his eye which held the Sharingan looked to be distracted by something, but I couldn't tell what. Then he still smiled at me in a way only a father could. I knew I loved him... I just didn't know if I had the guts to say it out loud.

Shidonii, do you remember which clan I descend from?" I tried to remember, but I could remember bits and pieces of what he had told me.

"Daddy, why is it that my hair is yellow, while yours is black?" I was staring at the back of his head from my on his shoulders.

"It's because of your mother. She was a decedent of the Namikaze clan, While I am a descendent of the Uchiha."

"What was mommy like?"

"... She was a wonderful woman, Shidonii..."

"An Uchiha?" I asked looking him in the eye. My answer lay there as the Sharingan stared back at me. Of course he was! I was just in his Genjutsu! When did I become such an idiot?

"Yes. Do you know what that means?" He was treating me like a child. And it struck a chord within me. He had treated me better before when I couldn't remember anything. Now that I had my memories back, he was treating me like an invalid.

"Let me guess, you've hidden more things more things from me?" I sighed. The look on his face seemed hurt, but I couldn't help feeling a little upset considering what had happened.

"You have the Sharingan as well."

Great.

More things had been sealed away from me.

He came over and brushed the hair covering my left eye. He stared into the Rinnegan, the power of the sage of the six paths. He pressed his two fingers over my lid, and I felt a warm sensation pump through my eye. It didn't hurt, but I could tell that something was different. I could seen my reflection in the mirror coated bowl that sat on the table, holding some river stones for decoration. My eye was now red; it had changed from the deep blue of the Rinnegan.

"I don't need this..." I flopped back onto the bed. More visual jutsu that I'll hardly had a use for. Why would he give it to me when I was quite content in killing him a few days ago?

"That's where you're wrong. Remember the man I told you about? The one who founded the Hidden Leaf?"

I tried to recall the conversation that we had.

"_Many years ago, there were no villages. Ninja lived in clans, and battled for power. There was the Uchiha clan, who were said to be to the most powerful. The only clan that rivaled them in power was the Senju clan of the forest. A Battle full of bloodshed went on and on, and only after the Senju called a truce did the battle end. The Two leaders of the clans, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha created a village, The Village of the Hidden Leaf."_

"_Wow... I'm glad the fighting stopped!"_

"_But Madara knew that the Senju and Uchiha were like oil and water, and could never mix. So after being rejected as Hokage, and betrayed by his own clan, Madara Uchiha left the Hidden Leaf village and vowed to take revenge against the village."_

"Heh, I remember that story you told me a while ago about the war between the Uchiha and Senju. Madara Uchiha wanted to take revenge after the truce was formed, right? But what does that old story have to do with me?"

"Madara Uchiha had the power of the Rinnegan and Sharingan. It means that you were meant to finish what he started."

I was dumbstruck. No! He couldn't have meant…that was why he he created the Eye Of the Moon plan?

"You must destroy the Village of the Hidden Leaf."

"Not a snow ball's chance in hell!"

"You did not let me finish... You must destroy the Village of the Hidden Leaf, but before you do that, you must obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Deidara's P.O.V.

We could have been there much faster…possibly at this very moment if it were just me and Danna. But no, we we're stopped here, all because of this one person…

"Deidara... I could see you doing this... But Sasori? Really? I thought you were better than this! Betray the Akatsuki...?" He looked us over, but paused when his eyes stooped on Naruto."Oh look, it's the little brat that first killed me. Great. I'll get to have my revenge on him as we'll." He cracked his knuckles.

"I've beaten you before and I'll do it again! There's no way you're stopping us!"

He chuckled. "Sorry, but I can't have you get to Shidonii until Tobi is finished with her. So your journey ends here." I knew to be weary of him. In life, he was a strong opponent, but in death? He would be ten times as hard to kill. Pain would not be a deterrent, considering the fact that he was already dead.

"Really Kakuzu, get on with it. We are in a hurry, after all..." Danna said with a sigh.

"I thought you'd never ask..." His odd masked beasts came forth, readying for battle. I knew it would be hard. How would I defeat a man who was almost immoral before he died?

Suddenly, Shidonii's word flooded to mind. "You see, when Kabuto reanimates people, the only way to kill the person would be to remove their soul."

"Wait just a minute, un!" I yelled, as Naruto was about to charge at Kakuzu. "He's not like he was before. The only way to kill him, is to remove his soul."

"What! How do we do that?" Naruto yelled over his shoulder.

"I can handle this. Don't you remember? Shidonii reanimated me as well."

I recalled Shidonii telling me about this. Because her miko powers were bound to her jutsu, the soul was bound to the body during reanimation.

"Just leave, Deidara! Take the kids with you, and go find Shidonii!"

"You won't be going anywhere!" Kakuzu roared, as the creatures blocked any outlet for escape.

"Let them through!" Sasori had summoned his puppet. He used the third Kazekage to attack. While he distracted Kakuzu, I took the liberty of creating another clay bird. If it was only the three of us, we should be able to get out of here this way.

"Hurry up brat!" Sasori yelled as he avoided an attack. I quickened my pace. I finally fashioned the clay into a bird, then tossed it up into the air. It expanded, forming an enormous bird.

"Get on you two, yeah!" I yelled, as they came running. They jumped aboard, but I felt a little guilty about Sasori. The bird took flight, and it seemed like we would be able to get out of there without too much of a problem, but before long, I noticed that we were being pursued by weird fire balls. I was able to avoid a few by maneuvering the bird, but there was one directly behind us. I swooped down, and threw another clay bird at it. It exploded, and we were finally able to escape. I watch as Sasori-Danna's figure got smaller and smaller.

Without speaking a word, we all looked into the distance, a mountain was coming into view. "It's behind there, un." I said, nodding toward the mountain."The village I mean."

"Yeah... We can only hope that Sasori can beat Kakuzu..." Aki looked back, concern on her face.

"Don't worry about Sasori-Danna, un! He can handle himself yeah!" But I was worried too. Was what Shidonii told me true? That when she reanimated people, the soul was bound to the body, meaning they could not die? I could only hope.


	3. Sasori vs Kakuzu

"Let's settle this Kakuzu. I don't have time for the likes of you." I lifted my favorite puppet, the third Kazekage. Iron sand danced around the battlefield, then I used my power to focus the sand into a powerful spear. Kakuzu remained expressionless, but before long he would see the effects of my training.

The spear of sand pierced his flesh, leaving a jagged, gaping wound, but after a few fleeting moments, the would healed.

So what Deidara said was true, the only way to kill Kakuzu would be to remove his soul.

"Nice try, Sasori," he said with a dark chuckle. "But do you really think you can beat me like this?"

"I don't need to beat you," I said, making eye contact. "I just need to stall you." I couldn't help but snort. I "It's sad really. I might be impatient sometimes, but continue to test me, and you just might find yourself dead."

He laughed, and began to focus his energy. The wind began to pick up a bit as he made his move, and it threatened to blow away my puppet. I held my ground, though and decided it would be best to attack now before Kakuzu decided to counter attack. I knew it was going to be challenging to beat him with Kazekage, but I had to try.

Shidonii P.O.V.

Here I was in, in the little town I grew up in. I now remembered its name, Saka. I didn't want to do this, but Tobi talked me into it. I had to find, and kill Kai.

_"____No! I will not kill Kai for some stupid jutsu I don't need!" I yelled. I was close to his face, making sure he understood my point. Father or not, he did not control me. I was tired of his attempt to push me in the directions he thought were right. It was rare when he considered my own feelings._

_"____Do as I say, or Sasori will die."_

___What? Where was Sasori?_

_"____Please." His statement made me baulk a little, but I decided to continue with my reasoning. It was unfair for him to bring up Sasori."Sasori is no where near here! What could you possible do to hurt him?" I was confidant in my word choice. I knew he couldn't hurt him right now._

_"____He and Kakuzu are fighting as we speak. If you wish to see him out alive, you will do as I say. Go to town and find him."_

I had sent the human path to go investigate Sasori. One advantage to having the Rinnegan is that I had the ability to control the six paths from about anywhere... But the down side was it drained me of chakura quickly.

My thoughts wondered as I searched the town, with a bit of difficulty. My miko garb, though traditional, made movement difficult and stealthy traveling impossible.

I turned a corner, and a few of the towns people waved in greeting. I smiled in return and offered a slight bow. I missed the scenery here. It was a hilly place, with a hut every few meters. Close by was a forest as well. After a few paces, I stopped before a hut, that I knew belonged to Kai. I had been there many times, so finding it was hardly a challenge. As I stood before it, memories of our time together flooded back to me. I could recall the time we first met, when Kai's family was showing us around the village. Now I had to kill him? It just wasn't fair. I had already killed Masao, and now I would have another murder on my hands. It was an ironic situation, considering my existence as a pacifistic miko.

But now Kai had to fall by my hand as well?

Sighing, I decided it would be best to not think too much about it. If it couldn't be avoided, convincing myself of how upsetting it was would only could my judgment. I slid the door open, not bothering to knock. I hadn't done so as a child, and it seemed strange to slip into formalities now, considering I was about to kill him.

Kai was there, of course, a bright smile across his face. He rushed over to the doorway.

"Shidonii! Its good to see you!" You know…something strange has happened. No one has seen Masao in a while; since the day you visited last." He tilted his head to the side. "Do you know anything? Have you possibly gotten your memories back?"

Seeing his innocent face like this as he asked me about all the wrongdoings I had committed was torturous. I couldn't look at him. The only way to get the Mangekyou Sharingan was to kill your best friend…

I knew Kai didn't need to know the less savory parts of my interactions with Masao, so I spared him the truth. "I have no idea where Masao is... But yes, I was able to recover my memories. Its good to see you." I tried to put on my best smile, and I hugged him. He squeezed back tightly. He was happy I had my memories back. I knew it had to have been rough on him. I didn't know who he was, where I was, but he was compassionate and kind regardless. I owed him so much.

"Hey, why don't we go to our filed?" I suggested. I could feel my eyes start to sting a little as I realized our time together was about to end.

The field was behind my house a little ways away, near a hot spring where we used to swim together.

Kai grinned. "I'll race ya!" Before I could accept, he was gone, but I followed after him!

Aki P.O.V.

"Whoa watch out! "

A fire ball came flying at us. We were right at the summit of the mountain, but we were now plummeting toward the ground because the damn bird was explosive. I landed on my feet ready to fight, but not with him. The base of the mountain was cool, with trees and vegetation all around.

"Nii-san?"

Was it really him? I walked toward him with hesitation, recognizing his face, but unsure because the air between us was strange. Even though I could sense the tension, I couldn't help the impulse to reach out and hug him as I did so, his expression darkened, and he back handed me, that caused me to fall to the ground.

"Hey! Why did you just hit your own sister?" Naruto yelled. He was never one to hide his curiosity.

Deidara was standing next him. I looked up to Itachi, holding the bruise that was forming on my cheek. His eyes had turned completely black, no iris, no hint of light anywhere. I knew he was under the same jutsu at Kakuzu, only he was not given as much free will. I pulled myself to my feet. I knew this as truth, but it didn't make me feel any better about the situation.

"Itachi! You're better than this! Fight the jutsu, I know you can!" I didn't want to have to hurt him, so I desperately hoped my words would reach him so he would change back.

He ignored me and ran forward, arm outstretched. I knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill me in this form, brother or not. I jumped, leaping over him, catching the back of his head with my foot, causing him to fall forward. It seemed as though this jutsu had robbed him of his agility too, because before now, there would have been no way I would be able to do something like that to him.

He paused for a moment, but quickly righted himself, and landed a square blow, knocking the wind out of me, and sending me flying into the air. I managed to look down, and saw that he had leapt up as well, closing the distance between us. A clay bird hit him in the back, so I had the chance re-direct my trajectory, and land properly.

"Itachi, this is beneath you, un." Deidara said with a snort as he approached me. "You're hurting your own sister; being the pawn of some idiot's game. Just look at yourself, un."

I was surprised to see Itachi hesitate for a moment. I took the chance to try to reason with him again.

"Itachi, you're helping the enemy here! Right now they have Shidonii captive, and here you are trying to stop us from saving her!" I yelled. But it was no use. I would have to knock some scene back into him. But what? What could I possibly do that could help him? My thought process stood to a halt as I barely manged to dodge an oncoming fist. I ducked and avoided hit after hit. I knew Itachi wasn't one for stamina, so maybe if I could craw out the battle, I could get him back. I finally caught his fist and landed a counter attack, a kick in the gut. He recoiled a bit, but otherwise did not look affected. But it gave me the chance I needed to preform Ninjutsu.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"I yelled as volley ball sized spheres of flame appeared. Itachi was the on who taught me this. I sent the balls of flame flying at him in a haphazard way. He was skilful at avoiding them, but one hit him dead center in the chest and he flew back to a tree behind me. I cautiously approached his slumped form. He stood up slowly, and walked up to me, I tensed up.

Two fingers were jabbed in my forehead. I smiled as I threw my arms around him."Itachi! You're okay!" I cried as I threw my arms around him. I was overwhelmed with happiness. Itachi was not being manipulated anymore...

"Aki... Where are we?" surveyed the area. His eyes met with Deidara's and darkened slightly."So, your alive again too?"

"It doesn't matter, un. We need to hurry and get Shidonii away from Tobi, un."

"I see, let's go." He tried to move, but he groaned softly.

"Itachi, are…are you okay?" Seeing him like this made me feel a bit uneasy.

"It seems as though breaking the jutsu has fatigued me. I may need to rest for a while."

"Its okay," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "We'll stay back here and wait for Sasori. When he comes, we can all meet up with Deidara and Sasori, all right?"

Naruto blinked. "Are you sure it's okay if you stay behind like this? Shidonii is one of your closest friends. It might go a little smoother if you know…you were there…"

This was true, but I didn't want to leave Itachi behind like this.

"She'll understand," I said quietly. I hoped this was true. "Just go ahead. Hurry, before Tobi hurts her!"

The remaining members of the party quickly left, and I turned back to my brother. "I'm…I'm not very good at this yet, but Sakura taught me a healing jutsu a while back. I think it will help you."

Sasori P.O.V.

It had been a few hours since Deidara and the others had left. The battle between Kakuzu and I was still going on, but I was beginning to feel the strain of battle. I needed to hurry and end this. I had taken a few bad hits, and barely manged to scathe him.

"Sasori-Danna, are you okay?" It was an unfamiliar voice, and the person that was source of the sound wasn't familiar either. There were only a handful of people that referred to me as "danna," so it could only be Deidara or Shidonii!

"Deidara…Shidonii, is that you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," The voice called back. "It's Shidonii. I sent the human path to see if you were okay. Tobi said you were fighting Kakuzu, so I was worried."

"Well, your arrival couldn't have come sooner. We've been at it for a while..."

"Ah! So sorry! I can finish it though! Just watch this!" The human path walked up to a confused Kakuzu. He placed his hand on Kakuzu's chest. His eyes went blank as the human path pulled a blue, shining orb from his body. It was his soul. The orb shot into the sky, before plummeting back down to earth, crashing into the ground.

"Bye Sasori-Danna!" She called. The path was gone before I had the chance to re-ask my earlier question.

Hey people! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and follow! And the only reason this chapter seems so much better than ever is my awesome beta, Hito me Bore!


	4. Punishment

Deidara P.O.V.

I was low on clay, and needed to save it if I stood a chance against Tobi. As a result, Naruto and I were forced to run through the harsh terrain of the mountain. Though it was still late summer anywhere else, here snow was already descending to the rocks. It would be at least two more days before we reached the other side like this. By then, Sasori would be done, and Itachi would be ready to move. In the end, we were planning to meet at the foot of the mountain..

"Do you think she's okay?" Naruto spoke up, even though there was still a bit of obvious tension between us. We were once enemies; now were working together to bring back someone we cared for.

"If Tobi really is her father, I don't think he would harm her, un." Or so I hoped. Tobi could be deceptive and cruel.

"Yeah, I guess so." It was quiet for some time, but I could tell something was bothering him.

"What's wrong un?" I spared him a glance.

"It's none of my business..."

It was something about me then? Naruto never really expressed concern over anything personal to others, so this was probably something big.

"I... Just want to know how you and Shidonii got together... It's been nagging me for a while. She was good and you... I just can't make head's or tails of it."

Was that it? It wasn't as deep as I thought it was going to be.

"I guess it was after I was reincarnated, un. That's when she told me she loved me. But it could have been before that. When I told her the same, yeah. That was a long time ago... About three mouths I think... Time flies when you're dead, un." I chuckled.

"Only that recently? Or that long ago..." He spoke thoughtfully.

Who would have guessed that a knucklehead like this kid would grow to be more powerful than the holder of the Rinnegan? It's not just the power of the Nine tails though. There's more to it than that.

"Now tell me this, un." I replied. "How did you manage to gain as much power as Shidonii is such a short amount of time, yeah? It's almost impossible." The only reason Shidonii could gain power in such a short time was because of her miko powers. Otherwise, it would have taken years for her to master everything.

"... I don't know. I guess it was the drive to save her and Sasuke. I can't think of anything else. The nine tails' power was too unstable to use then, so it couldn't have been that." I was nothing like him. He continued to fight for seemingly lost causes, never giving up. I guess I could learn a thing or two from him.

"... Let's pick up the pace, yeah." I didn't have a response to that. I have never had a drive like that... So noble... My only drive was freedom from The Hidden Rock.

"Right." He continued to follow me.

Shidonii's P.O.V.

"I beat you!" I yelled. He was seconds behind me huffing and puffing.

"When did you get so fast?"

"Hmm... I guess a while back. I've become much stronger since I left the village." I should have thought about that before I said it. The look on his face was still happy, but I could sense some hurt behind those bright eyes.

"Oh... That's great Shidonii! Hey, why don't we go for a dip?"

I looked to the hot spring that was just off behind us. We would just relax there in our underwear as kids, but now…? I supposed it would be one of the easiest ways to attack him.

"Sure! Why not?" I said with a grin. It was a little cruel, but it would make this a little easier. I removed the katana strapped to my waist, and the quiver and bow on my back. Redundantly, I then slipped of the kimono and bright red hakama. I then folded them properly, and removed the hidden shiriken on my thighs. I placed I held one in hand as I slowly slid into the hot water behind Kai.

"Something is wrong, isn't it Shidonii?" He asked as I leaned against the side of the pool.

He must have been playing as well. No... It wasn't that. He was my best friend, he could read me like a book. For a moment, I was unsure of what to do. Tell him the truth? Say I'm here to kill him?

"Do you want the truth?" I lifted my eyes to meet his. He was curious and a touch concerned.

"Is it bad? I figured out some things…some things about the life you've been leading since you left the village. You became a ninja, and were forced to join a criminal group. I think you even fell in love." He smiled. It was chilling to hear that he had discovered so much about me. "It all sounds insane. But I heard that you were the one to kill Masao too."

My heart sunk. He knew the whole time?

"Kai... I'm so sorry." Guilt poured through me. But, I felt as though it wasn't enough. Like I should be more ashamed of what I did... "How much do you know? Who..who told you?" I had a sneaking suspicion it was Kabuto...

"Your dad, actually." Kai shrugged. "He told me something else too." He swam over to me, and grabbed my right hand. I struggled to keep it under the water, but he was able to pull my wrist above the water. The weapon in my hand was exposed. I gasped knowing the secret was out. "That your here to kill me too."

Why would my father tell him? What good was that?

"Kai, do you think I want to do this?!" I yelled. I could feel the burning sensation of tears as they started to well up in my eyes. "My dad put me up to this! I don't want to hurt anyone anymore!" It felt like a dam broke, and I couldn't keep myself from sobbing. Warm tears flowed down my face, staining my cheeks and falling into the hot water below. I was a mess.

"I want to help you Shidonii. But I don't know how." He moved to hug me, and I let him. I needed comfort right now. "The least I can do is be here for you."

I didn't want to kill him…my childhood friend who was so gentle, warm and caring. Killing Masao was one thing, but taking Kai's life was quite another. There was little stopping me from holding to my decision. I had killed Kakuzu, so what's holding me back? What could Tobi do to hurt me now?

"Thank you Kai." I said into his shoulder. "You don't realize how much this means to me." I flung the shiriken behind me, expecting to hear the soft thud as it hit the ground, but the punctuation needed to illustrate the end of my pursuit of Kai never came. I looked back, to see that the shiriken had fallen into the hands of my oh so lovable father.

"How cute. It's nice to see that you two are still friends, Shidonii."

"Go to hell Tobi!" He was no father of mine. He didn't deserve that title.

"So you're mad? I thought as much." Was that all he had to say?

"You... You are scum!" I growled, wiping the tears away and letting go of Kai. "Sending your own daughter off to kill her best friend... Letting her join a group of killers, knowing she could easily die... What kind of father are you?"I couldn't help but yell. I had almost killed my best friend because of a plot not of my own design, but because my father wanted me to. "But worst of all, you took away her memories so you could go through with some fucked up plan of world domination!"

Tobi scoffed. "Am truly that bad? Was I the one who killed the innocent two tails? Or betrayed their fellow Akatsuki for some village? But let's not forget leading on Deidara just to destroy the Akatsuki... You killed a poor boy for your own selfish needs. Some miko you are..."

I wanted to jump out of the water and strangle him, kill him the way he wanted me to kill Kai, and show him the depth of my rage, but I knew he just wanted to rattle me; to break me.

"I admit I've done some terrible things... Things I'll never be able to forgive myself for. At least I'm not a heartless fool like you. I feel horrible about each of those crimes, and I grieved for each one of those I slain by my hand. Hardly any of the terrible acts you have committed have effected you. You treat each and every life you've tampered with and destroyed like it was a play thing. It's surprising that you even cared that I got my memory back. At this point, I could say that my entire childhood was a lie."

Rage filled his eyes, and he snatched my arm out of the water, dragging me onto the land. I managed to pull away from his grip because my body was slick from the water. Tobi turned to me and began to speak with his teeth clenched. "You think it was all a lie? Do you really believe someone could make up your entire life?" He growled. "Whether you like it or not, I am your father, and I love you. Anything and everything I have done up until now is for you; for your own benefit!" He looked down at me. I shiver from the cool air, and his intense stare.

"I…I love you, but I hate you more than that." I covered myself with my arms. "And I know now that I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to stop you, father."

He simply sighed. "Well, I hope you have a change of heart in the future. For now though, this can't be tolerated. A proper punishment is in order, so I will leave you to that. " He was gone in a flash of black aura, and I was left to stare into the eyes of Nagato. They were completely black, the Rinnegan was not visible.

"Hello Shidonii." He said with a smirk. "Prepare for battle." I was quite the opposite of prepared. I was half naked and shivering in the cold because of the chill evening air. It would be difficult to fight him. He was under the same jutsu as Kakuzu was. Given only the ability to speak, he had no control over his movement. And because he once housed the Rinnegan, he still had the ability of the six paths.

"If you say so Nagato..." I walked over to my pile of clothing and grabbed my sword. I watched him as I picked up the hilt. He was watching me. Getting dressed wasn't going to be a possibility. I had to finish this quickly."Kai, get back to the village," I said shortly. I didn't want him in any more danger. This was no place for him. He was strong, but he wasn't a ninja.

"I can't leave you here alone!" He yelled as Nagato moved toward him. I had to move now, before he attacked.

"Run!" I screamed charging toward him. Nagato quickened his pace as well, and dashed toward Kai. I barely managed to roll in front of Nagato's attack with his shiriken. It wasn't his usual style, which confirmed my suspicions that he could not control his movements. Not only that, but he would never attack a bystander.

I wasn't able to quite block the shiriken, and the blade cut my side. I tried to stop the flow of blood with my hand. I couldn't let this stop me. "Nice one there. Such a classy attack. He's not even involved."

"You are still the same Shidonii I remember. " Nagato replied, jumping back. "I have no desire to do this Shidonii, and I know you feel the same. You must defeat me."

"You think I know that Pein?" Old habits die hard. I used the name he gave himself as leader of Akatsuki. I missed him. But now was not the time to dwell on the past. I had to protect myself and Kai.

A small smile was on his face."Shall we begin?" Even though he was under control and forced to fight me, I could tell he was kind of excited to battle. It had been a while since we had seen each others' skills, and I wanted to see how much he had improved. This fight was going to be to the death. "Give it all you got."

I'm so sorry for not updating in forever! For those of you who I have not told, school started last Monday, so updates will be few. Most of my teachers give me homework every night, so usually I can only update on the weekends. But fear not! I will try to on weekdays! Review are wanted, because they'll help me get through homework faster!


	5. Healer

I smirked as I could see my aura manifest into a bright light around my body. I knew he wouldn't do well against close combat, so I knew this would be the best tactic to use. Even if I would have the advantage in this fight, there would be little chance for me to defend myself should he land a blow. Caution was of the utmost importance. Nagato was a force to be reckoned with, even more so because he was under the control of Kabuto This jutsu gave him an incredible amount of power. He was strong, so it would be necessary to hit him with everything I had if I wanted to win. He had the power to regenerate, so I needed to concentrate on attacks that would take some time for him to recover from, so I could easily remove his soul.

With that plan in mind, I ran toward him, focusing my chakura in to my sword. With the increase in power, it grew in size to form a pink steeply arching fang. I slashed toward him, but he easily dodged it. It was obvious by the smirk on his face that he had a plan of his own.

"Have you forgotten about your indecency already?"

I blushed moving the sword to cover my bosom. I couldn't help but shiver. He was teasing me…trying just trying to push my buttons. I wasn't going to let rattle me though. We had a fight to finish.

"What, you want a peak? I pointed my sword at him and smirked."I'll be happy be oblige!" I rushed at him. One moment, I was in front of him. Using a substitution jutsu, I appeared above his head and went for his head. He moved to the right, so I was able to cleanly press the sword into his left shoulder. I pulled it out and landed not-so-gracefully because of his sudden movement. I stood up from the position on the ground, gasping at the sharp pain spreading in my side. I had to ignore it in order to win this.

The wound on Nagato healed in mere seconds, and he was already making his next move. He had summoned a three headed dog creature, which I guessed I was going to have to fight.

I looked at it, hearing the growling and snarling. Its ruffled red fur was stained with blood, and its eyes seemed to be stitched shut. I wondered what kind of abomination it was made from.

I raised my sword looking between Nagato, and the beast. He was content watching me struggle to fight this thing. Well, I fully intended to show him a thing or two!

It dashed toward me, carelessly trudging over my clothing attempting to sink its jaws into my side. It managed to get a solid hold, and I couldn't help but cry out in pain. One of its other heads gripped my hip. I was thrown off balance and only managed to whack one of the heads. It whimpered and jumped back. Even though it had released me, there was still a very raw wound where the mouths had previously been. I was bleeding quite badly, and I knew I would have to hurry if I wanted to make it until the end of the fight.

I pressed my palm into the wound in an effort to stop the bleeding. Since one of my hands was occupied in trying to keep me from bleeding out, I was unable to hold the sword with both hands. I wound not be able to use it single handed, and any jutsu I could possibly use required two hands...

The creature had recovered, and it was now growling at me. It came charging once more. I had no choice but to reduce the power in my sword; it was back to its original katana form. There was little chance it would defend me from the creature's strength. As it attacked, it pushed me back, and I was pushed down to the ground; the sword was at my own neck. I would have to find a way to get out of this situation.

"Get off of her, you three headed mongrel!" Someone shouted. I heard a thump, as a rock connected with one of the three heads. I cringed, knowing that must hurt. But I was thankful for the distraction, because the mutt was no longer focusing on my neck, and was looking toward the source of the rock.

It was Kai, of course! I was now quite thankful that he did not leave when I had first suggested he exit the area. Thankfully, he was providing me with an opportunity to heal myself. The pool of blood that had formed next to me from the bite wound was starting to grow to an alarming size.

With a bit of effort, I used my miko powers to heal the wound. The gentle pink light flowed to my hand, and I could feel a warm, comforting sensation over take me as I pressed my palm against the wound. A moment later, I could feel Nagato's hand on my wrist, crushing it. I looked around. The mutt had an unconscious Kai by the arm.

I looked back at Nagato. "It looks like you lose Shidonii. What a shame."

Before I could say anything in response, he used his free hand to close my eyes. I fell limp in his grasp as sleep overtook me.

Tobi's P.O.V.

"Have you dealt with her?" I inquired, returning to the scene where I left my daughter in her fit of rage.

"Yes. It seems she was too mad to put up much of a fight. Not only that, she seemed tired and weak. When was the last time she rested for more than a few hours? Or ate anything?" Nagato looked at the girl he held in his arms; my little girl. I moved to take her from him, and looked at her. She was still indecent, and her side was still bleeding. Bite marks marred her side, and she was breathing heavily.

"I will take care of her, do not worry Nagato." I knew the man cared for her. She was pretty good at worming her way into the hearts of others.

"What do we do with him?" I looked to where he gestured, and saw the young man, Kai, in the dog's mouth. He dropped him to the ground in a heap, and I couldn't help but sigh.

"Bring him with us. Shidonii would never forgive me if I left him to die." Though I sent here no more than mere hours ago to kill the boy, if she went threw with the act, she would to full of grief to move, let alone fight in this time of war.

"You think she'll forgive you now?" Nagato raised a brow.

"She has a forgiving soul."

"Even so, you have hurt her deeply. Some actions cannot be left unpunished."

I did not reply to his last comment, only because I had no response for it.

He followed me back to my house. Once there, I placed her I retrieved some of her old clothing, it would be a little strange if I left her there, nearly in the buff. It wasn't long before I realized that her old clothes would no longer fit her, so I brought some of mine. Her wounds would need tending too as well.

"You are free to go, Nagato." He returned outside as I walked into the kitchen, and grabbed some dry herbs from only a year and a half ago. Is that how long it had been? I looked at her. She had matured far more than I ever thought, and had grown in power to match. She was better than I had hoped for. Sadly, she still remained on the wrong path. How was I to show her the right one...?

I pulled out a bowl and mashed the herbs into a paste, adding some water to create the perfect consistency. I spread the paste onto the gaping wound; it would help to stop the bleeding, and seal it. I carefully wrapped the wound in gauze as well. For some reason, her healing power seemed to be weaker now. It was probably due to the same reason Nagato had mentioned earlier. She was probably tired; I had been pushing her too hard...

I looked at her left wrist, the one Nagato had broken. I would have to set it back into place. When she woke, I would have to feed her so she could heal herself properly once more. I placed my hand on it, and used some medical ninjutsu to mend it slightly. She whimpered slightly in her sleep, and I stopped, knowing it would hurt her greatly if I continued.

I stopped and thought about my actions. This must be the closest I've been to her since the incident. I smiled, brushing hair from her eye, the one that should hold the Mangekyo Sharingan. Though she had defied my orders, I did not blame her. I know she has a heart of gold. She was not a killer. I would simply have to mold her into one.

I looked to the boy, Kai. He had been unconscious, and had a minor flesh wound where the mutt had grabbed him. Other than that, he would be fine. It was a simple task to heal the bite.

I refused to re-dress the boy, but Shidonii was a different story. I cannot let her lie next to a male in such a state. Her miko grabs were in poor condition now, due to the mutt tramping over them. I slipped a pair of pants on her slim body, and pulled a shirt over her, careful not to press against her freshly cleaned wounds. The clothes were a little baggy on her, but she still looked so peaceful in her sleep. If only that look remained when she woke.

When she did wake, I would have to show her the path of darkness…the path she was meant to take.

Well would you look at that! I updated! Go me! Review and follow please! I know you're out there! I can stalk you with the traffic graph! Something else too! I have a poll going on! Go to my profile to vote! After this, I plan to make a Naruto story, and that is just to she which pairing I should have! You opinion matters! Really. (That means review too XD) If you want anything added, PM me, and I'll she if I like it enough to add it.


	6. One Step Ahead

Deidara's P.O.V.

"Hey, Deidara…"

I stopped when I heard my name being called. I knew it wasn't Naruto because he was standing right beside me, and the voice was a coming from a distance. We both turned around, and saw three figures appear from the base of the misty mountain we had passed. I knew this could only be…

"Sasori-Danna!" I called. I was happy to know that he was alright, along with Aki and Itachi as well.

"Need I remind you, that Sasori isn't the only one here?" Aki said with a snort as they walked toward us.

I was surprised to see them so early on. We were only about half way down the mountain.

Sasori must have read my features, because he was quick to update me on the status of Shidonii.

"Shidonii should be safe," he confirmed.

I released the breath I didn't know I had been holding. Even if I couldn't see her, it was good to know that she was still alive. But I stilled worried for her. She must be rubbing off on me.

"But we can't be too sure," Sasori continued. "I heard this over two days ago, when she had the human path come to help me fight Kakuzu. We're not sure what she's up to now. "

"Well what are we waiting for?" Naruto said with an enthusiasm only he could muster at such a time. "Let's go find out for ourselves!"He charged forward, hurrying down the steep mountain. Aki ran off after him; yelling something along the lines of "keeping him in place."

I blinked once to get out of my thoughts of Shidonii, and dashed off after them with Itachi and Sasori in tow.

I had to see for myself. Shidonii was mine. My girlfriend, mine to protect. I had to save her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Deidara, get your head out of the clouds," Sasori said, as he watched me nearly trip over a rather large rock in my path. "The village is in view. We're almost there."

Had I been out of it for that long? Sure enough though, through the thick sheets of fog, a small village was situated right at the edge of the forest. Smoke puffed from the top of the huts that were scattered throughout the village. I had never been in the village, so I didn't know what to expect. But somehow I hadn't imagined we'd be in a feudal looking little community.

"Their house should be somewhere near the tree line… yeah." I gestured toward a hill over-looking the village with the dense forest right behind it.

"Someone should tell that to the nine tails." Itachi pointed as Aki held him back from running to the village. We reached the duo and I told them what I just told Itachi and Sasori.

"Right. Why don't we go there and kick his ass?!" Naruto shouted. He was always a little too excited for every situation.

"Don't you think he would be expecting that?" Aki pointed out. "We need to come up with a plan. We need to sneak someone in there. There's no way we could get through with a head on attack."

"We all get your rash behavior;" Sasori added. "You want to save Shidonii just like the rest of us, but this is no time to be foolhardy."

Naruto nodded sheepishly."Right. Then how should we go about this?"

All eyes turned to me. Ah yes... I was the badass leader of this search party. How could I have forgotten?

"…" I really didn't have much to add though. I was worried about Shidonii. If we made any mistakes; if we weren't successful, I might never be able to see her again. I would never be able to forgive myself if something were to befall her due to a miscalculation on my part.

Sasori sighed, realizing my dilemma.

"Why don't we send Itachi in? As far as Tobi knows, he's still under Kabuto's control. If anything, he could get in there, get Shidonii and get out. The rest of us can stay close by in case he's found out."

"Hn. Deidara, where is the hut?" Itachi inquired.

I gritted my teeth, unsure if I really liked this plan. For the most part, I still hated Itachi, so letting him swoop in a save my girlfriend is just humiliating. Yet, I knew I could not do it myself, so I had no choice. It really made the most sense to let him do it.

"I'll lead you, un." I began to move up the hill, with Itachi close behind me. The house was not too far. In a matter of minutes we were at the tree line, right before the field in which Kabuto revived me. The house was in our sight.

"It's there, yeah. Don't break character, un." I reminded him, He nodded.

"Do I not need a reason to come here? It would look ridiculous if I just showed up without a purpose."

"Just say Kabuto sent you here after you beat us. I'm going to head back to the others, un. I'll have Sasori-Danna here, Aki behind the house, and I'll be to the side." I set of before he could reply. We had to do this before Tobi could go anything to serious to her.

Shidonii's P.O.V.

I slowly opened my eyes, only to close then again. I saw a wooden ceiling, so I assumed I was at base. The Akatsuki head quarters. Why was I here? Last I remembered, Tobi and I were…

I shot up, using my right hand as a support. I cried out as a sharp pain shot through my body. I looked at my wrist. It was black and purple from bruising, and most likely a fracture. My legs hurt as well, and I could feel the soft tug of gauze around my waist. I pulled up the shirt I was wearing, only to realize it was my father's. The gauze was strained with dried blood, and needed to be changed. I looked back at my wrist, and I attempted to move it, but soon realized that my assumptions about the fracture were true. I tried to mend it, using both medical ninjutsu and my spiritual powers, but I was out chakura, so I could do neither of these acts. My stomach growled at me, and my head throbbed. I ached all over. Just what the hell happened to me?

Thoughts and memories whipped around in in my head, but they were fragmented, only giving me a few hints about what had happened before I fainted. I remembered Kai, and then father... Nagato battling me, the mutt… Kai!

I looked around the room, hoping that he was somewhere nearby and that nothing had happened to him. I was relieved to find him sleeping peaceful next to me on the bed. I saw that my father had healed him, but he was still barely clothed. I blushed, but shook him awake.

"Kai, wake up!" I was pleading just slightly, mainly because I wanted him to take care of his indecency. He was attractive, that was for sure, but as a person already in a committed relationship, and looking at my best friend in such a way was just off putting. "When my father returns, he'll send you off, clothed or not!"

"Huh? Oh good morning Shidonii..." He grinned. "What's my mom making for breakfast?"

"No!" I groaned. He clearly had no idea of where he was either, and getting him to get dressed was going to take a little more prodding. "Here, I'll find you some clothing..." I slowly slid off the bed, carefully trying not to aggravate my wounds, and walked over to the closet by the door. I picked out one of dad's outfits and threw it on him. It was from long ago, but it should fit him well.

"Oh what...? Thanks Shidonii." He mumbled, suddenly becoming conscious of his indecency. Just as he spoke, the door opened and my father walked in. Shocked, I looked up at the door, and self-consciously pulled at the shirt that had slid off my body slightly.

"Shidonii… I see you're awake." He said evenly. "Here."

I outstretched my left hand, and grabbed the cleanly wrapped bento box he had brought. I hadn't realized my hunger until the food was in my hands.

"Thanks, erm…dad..."

"You must finish it all. The reason you can't heal yourself is because you're low in energy. When was the last time you ate, or slept for more than a few hours?"

I thought about this... It must have been right before I learned Tobi was my dad... almost five days ago...

"Let's just say I really need this..." I said, sitting back down. I looked over at Kai who was in the process of pulling the clothes on. I had wanted him gone before my dad had returned, but now it was important that he leave as soon as possible to escape more danger. "Hey Kai, do you mind going? I think it's about time you left." He could sense my real intention for him to leave. He scowled, but agreed.

"Alright. I'm going. Thanks for the stay, Uchiha-sama." He spat thorough gritted teeth. Kai had always been one to show respect, but I'm surprised he did so after what my dad did.

I wasted no time in sitting at the kitchen table, and opening the bento box. I picked up the rice ball and savored the sweet flavor. Dad came to the table. We had sat at this table together and engaged in may talks, both good and bad. I had a feeling this one fell into the latter category. I stared down my food, taking bites from it now and then as he spoke.

"You know you'll have to one day, Shidonii."

I growled, knowing what he meant. I would have to receive the Mangekyo Sharingan one way or another. There just had to be another way than killing my best friend!

"Well, it won't be anytime soon," I spat.

He sighed. I was difficult, there was hardly anyway to change my mind. Stubborn, ignorant and very opinionated. You have to be very persuasive to convince me otherwise of what I believe. Okay, this is what typically the beginning flaws of a Sue: Self description. When you describe your own personality traits, especially the positive ones, it makes you look like you're trying to convince everyone that you're the best, and cannot be out done, even by canon characters. So, to avoid this, have the other characters do it for you. Instead, have Tobi do it.

"Why do you try and fight destiny? You're too stubborn for you own good, Shidonii. You're going to have to face reality eventually."

"Why do you sound so much like Neji right now?" Talking about destiny. Which, he knows nothing about...

He shook his head, and continued. You act before you think. There is nothing you can do to stop it. You will destroy the Hidden leaf, you will receive the Mangekyo Sharingan, and you will follow the legacy of your clan!" He was close to shouting now, and I had every intention of shouting a counter claim, but the door flung open, cutting our conversation short.

Shock didn't begin to explain how surprised I was to see him walk through the door. "I-... Itachi-san?" I blinked, trying to convince myself that it was really him. "What are you... I could have sworn to the goddess that you had died..."

I looked into his eyes, and in a matter of moments, I could tell that he was still under the Reincarnation Jutsu as well.

Tobi sighed, looking at him. Itachi, have you taken care of them?" I absently twisted a strand of my hair as I listen to them converse. Who was this "them" they were talking about? Someone must be out to help me.

"They have been taken care of. Deidara and Sasori as well."

Hearing this broke my heart. Not only has my friends been hurt, but I would be forced to subject to my fathers will. All I could think of was getting out of here and going to see if there was anything I could do for them…but Itachi was right here, still under the jutsu. Meaning what he spoke was true. There had to be some way to break it, but there would be no way for me to do that if my father was standing there still.

"Dad," I interrupted. "Could you possibly go back to the village and get me more food?" I stuffed the last bit of rice in my mouth, and continued to speak with the food unpleasantly puffing out my cheeks. "I'm still starved."

He looked at me, satisfied with my hunger, but he was still upset. "Very well Shidonii."

Itachi will keep you company for now." He stood, and headed out the door to get more food. Itachi and I stood there in silence for a few moments while I wanted to make sure my father was far enough away from the door to be out of ear shot. When I thought a reasonable amount of time had passed, I decided it was time to get started on breaking that jutsu.

"Itachi, you have to break free of this." He turned to face me, and smirked.

"One step ahead of you, miko."


	7. Reunion

**Hey! I know it's been a while, but I have been so busy with other things! The first nine weeks of school is over now, I'm glad about that because no more p.e.! Yeah, I'm lazy. Well, without further ado, I present to you poor people,** **a chapter that is far too late.**

I smiled, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when I noticed that he was no longer under anyone's control. I stood quickly, but instantly became light headed; apparently my body hadn't quite caught up to my mind in terms of eagerness to move forward. Itachi noticed my dizziness and grabbed my left hand, steadying me.

"Thank you, Itachi.."

"Shidonii, what happened to your wrist?" He made a motion toward my injured right wrist. I knew we wouldn't have time to cover the whole story, so I shrugged. "We're pressed for time, so I'll just give you the overview. Long story short, I had to fight a reanimated Nagato. He was nice enough to break my wrist during the fight. The sad part about this is that I'm too damn weak now. I can't even heal myself!" I was getting agitated at my own weakness…I couldn't do something so simple as heal myself in this state.

Itachi nodded and carefully placed his hand on my hip. Pain shot through my side. He apologized quietly, then lifted up the side of the baggy shirt I was wearing to inspect the wound. The bandage was stained; the color ranged from a bright crimson red to a dull, beaten brown. They needed to be changed.

"What happened here?"

"You can blame the hell hound for that." I chuckled, despite our current situation. He helped me through the door of the house, guiding me by the arm. I was impressed that I only stumbled over my own feet three or four times. Aki was already outside, and she added to my imbalance by tackling me in a hug. Naruto was right behind her, and Sasori was there too, but I saw no sign of Deidara.

"I'm glad to see you're okay!" She said in a single breath. "We were worried to death." There was a scolding touch to her voice, but it was light. I nodded, acknowledging her, but the very motion hurt.

"I'm happy to see you're all okay, but where is Deidara?"

Everyone turned to look for the blond arsonist, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"That's a goo—" Aki started, but was soon cut off as an explosion came from behind the house, causing loose boards from some of the shabbier houses to fly free, scattering in all directions.

"Speak of the devil..." Naruto muttered.

"Oh no! Deidara must have run into dad!" I cried. Everyone began to rush in that direction while I sat helplessly on the forest floor. There was no way I could keep up with them in my condition. Sasori realized this, and lingered behind.

"Shidonii, I'll take you to safety.

I vigorously shook my head, causing the world around me to spin.

"No... No Danna..." I spoke slowly. "I need to go save Deidara!" I tried to stand, but I only managed to get about half way up from the ground before I fell back down again.

"You're in no condition for that." He offered me a hand, and I gratefully took it. It took quite a bit of energy to stand, and I doubted I could get any further on my own, so I was stuck with Sasori which meant I had no choice in the matter. I had to return to safety, while my love, and people I cared for fought for my own safety.

Sasori carried me on his back, knowing that would be the fastest. I held on with a single hand as he ran. Though he was human again, his stamina surprised me. In only half an hour, we were climbing the mountain. I looked back toward the forest, where shouts could be heard. A high pitched scream cut through the light patting of Sasori's feet as he ran. Birds flew away in fright, bursting through the tree tops. I worried that the scream belonged to Aki, the only person I know who possessed a scream that loud. I didn't have much time to ponder this, though, as fatigue overcame me, and I fell unconscious against Sasori's back.

Deidara

I wondered why I had to be the lucky shit to run into Tobi. It could have been anyone but me, but I guess today just wasn't my day. I took some clay from my pouch, pleased that I had saved some.

"Deidara, how nice to see you once more." The last time I saw Tobi, he was sending me out on orders to kill the Leaf Shinobi. I began to mend my chakura with the clay, I createing several small spiders. I let them crawl down my leg and behind me into the forest where they could get behind Tobi for an attack with no trouble.

"Cut the shit, un. You know why I'm here." He wasn't wearing a mask, so I could clearly see the smirk that was plastered in his face. He looked younger than I thought, but what confused me, was that half of his face looked young, and the other looked uncharacteristically old. Not only that, but he had the eyes of an Uchiha—the Sharingan. I decided against pondering over Tobi's appearance, and focused on the task at hand; keeping him occupied while the others saved Shidonii.

"There's no chance at saving her. She's already committed to helping me." Tobi laughed.

I scoffed at that. Shidonii wouldn't give in that easily. The only reason she couldn't kill him the first time was because she remembered just who she was. And now, she was just too weak.

"You really think I would fall for that, hm?" I couldn't help but tilt a brow. Tobi must have been getting slower in his old age.

Tobi shrugged."It matters not. Just know that this is the end for you!"

The spiders went in for the attack, be he saw them coming. I was caught off guard as he ran forward, but jumped, around behind me. I scarcely dodged the impact, but a scream rang though my ears. It was high, and it belonged to a girl. A cold chill ran through me as I turned, praying to the goddess, hell even Jashin that it wasn't Shidonii.

It wasn't Shidonii, but this outcome was just as bad. Apparently everyone figured out I was in trouble from my first explosion, and came to help me. In the end, Aki took the blow for me, ending up with a bloody right eye. I knew it was unrecoverable from here. She would be blind in that eye forever, unless of course, she got a replacement. When Itachi came into the clearing, his anger was palpable. He couldn't stand to see his younger sister like that. Itachi and Tobi glared at one another, and I could feel the situation escalating.

Naruto broke their little staring contest as he came into the clearing.

"Alright Tobi! It's time you pay for what you've done! This is the end for you!" He yelled running up to Tobi. Naruto was never the one for planning, and this time, it actually worked out in my advantage. Tobi would easily be able to move away from Naruto's attacks, but they provided just enough of a distraction for me to be able to use my bombs. If he managed to outmaneuver this, then there was always Itachi…

Itachi too went after Tobi, but unlike Naruto, his rage was kept under a cool mask. Together, the two pummeled him with an onslaught of attacks, but it didn't seem to do much good. I looked over at Aki. There were too many people looking out for her, and I didn't want to be at fault for leaving her for dead. I didn't like her at first, but she was starting to grow on me.

"Are you going to be okay, un?" I keeled beside her and swept her bangs out of her eyes so I could see the wound a little more easily. I quickly covered it, after assessing that it was indeed gruesome. From the small glance I had I saw Tobi had sliced right through her eye, but it was still in the scoket.

"I should be fine," Aki said with a grunt. "Thanks, Deidara."

I lifted up my cloak and quickly tore off a strip of cloth from my shirt, so I could wrap the wound. It wouldn't be long before she was out cold from blood loss if I didn't do something to stop the bleeding. Because this was a head wound, blood loss was especially worrisome.

"Do you think you can fight, yeah?" I asked, looking back at Naruto and Itachi. They had Tobi on the other side of the field.

"I should be fine." I only half believed her, but I had no other choice.

I tied the makeshift bandage and helped her up, then turned my attention to the battle. Tobi was there one minute, then gone. I knew what was coming. He moved fast. I quickly turned to the left, facing him once he reappeared. I threw clay birds at him, and he recoiled, but he recovered before any of us could make another move. Just then, I noticed that Danna wasn't here. He must have stayed back to protect Shidonii.

Tobi was preparing a hand sign, and soon fire was coming from mouth. He created in effect, a giant flamethrower. I panicked, and pulled Aki out of the direction of the flame. Due to the knee jerk reaction, I wasn't able to fashion the bird properly, and it turned out misshapen; it exploded, and threw us backward, but thankfully we were able to avoid the flames.

"Nice move, at least it didn't kill us," Aki spoke, her voice tinted with sarcasm.

"Be glad I chose to save you, yeah. I could have just left you for dead, un." Tobi came toward us, so I let the argument die there.

His fist was raised, and I caught it, dropping Aki in the process. His other fist came, and I caught that one as well. I slid back in the soft soil. I knew Tobi was much stronger than me, but I had to get him back somehow, and create some distance between us. I was sliding, but as soon as my back met the trunk of a tree, Tobi fell backward; surprise evident on his face. I looked to my left and saw that Aki had swept her leg and kicked his ankles, causing him to fall. I took the opportunity, and jumped back into the treeline, careful to make sure there was no way I could be brought down.

Tobi stood, and Aki jumped back. He charged toward her, and she smiled as she disappeared. Naruto appeared in her place, and Itachi came from behind with a murder of crows. He pushed past him, and him, and using his crows, lifted Tobi from the ground. Naruto began to form a Resangan, the jutsu familiar to me because it was one of Shidonii's favorites. I smiled as I saw Aki beside him, starting a fire ball jutsu as well. I pulled out some more clay, and created some more spiders. They were ready to attack as soon as Itachi's faded, and he began conjuring a fire ball as well. Naruto hit first, sending him back into my spiders. He jumped up, but Itachi and Aki were able to hit him simultaneously, calling the double hit the "Uchiha Great Flame."

A plume of smoke appeared before us, and looking at each other, we knew it would be a good idea to get out of there as quickly as possible. We didn't bother to wait until the smoke settled.

Shidonii

When I awoke, Sensei was looking down at me. I sat up suddenly, which must of surprised him, because we knocked heads. I fell back again, and rubbed my sore forehead.

"Calm down, you're okay now."

I heard his voice as I stared up at a wooden ceiling. It far too closely resembled the chocolate colored ceiling slats that were in my own house. I sat up slower this time, and surveyed the occupants of the room. Sakura was sitting by Temari, and was speaking in a low voice. Gaara and Sasori were having a staring contest while Kakuro spoke with some other boy.

"Sensei, who is he?" I pointed to the guy, and everyone seemed to be disappointed in me.

"You're more worried about who Sai is than where you even are?" Sensei asked.

I nodded. The thought never really came to mind.

"Yeah, that's Shidonii..." Sakura said with a sigh that was coupled with a smile.

I pushed myself up, but was surprised to see that I was using my right hand, and it didn't hurt.

"Thanks for healing me Sakura." I looked at her with a wide smile. Her healing jutsu was second to none. I hoped I could one day be as skilled as she was.

I then turned to the boy. I had seen him before when I was still under my father's Genjutsu, and working with Sasuke… "So I assume your Sai?" He gave an odd smile and spoke.

"It's nice to meet you Shidonii, but I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Yeah, agreed." I looked at Kakashi Sensei once more. "So just where the hell are we anyways?" I could see Sasori face-palm from the corner of my eye.

"We're in the Hidden Hot Springs Village." Temari answered. I sighed in relief. This village was a safe, peaceful place.

"They agreed to let us stay here because you killed Hidan, the man who massacred everyone," Kakashi Sensei said.

Hidan.

I hated his guts. He was long gone, it had been… what, about a month since I killed him?

"Where are the others?" I asked, looking around the room for an answer. Sai spoke.

"I sent information of our location to them on the form of ink." He demonstrated by first drawing, then having a little ink bat fly around me. "They should be here soon."

It was good getting to catch up with everyone, but I was starving. Since we were in a safe place amongst allies, I thought now would be a good time to ask something that had been bothering me for a while. "You wouldn't happen to have any food, would you?"

"You sound like Naruto now..." Gaara said with a sigh.

"You would be hungry too if you went through what I did..." I smiled as a bowl of stew was given to me by Sasori.

"Thanks Sasori-Danna!" I said, pleased to have something hot and delicious served to me. I dug into the stew. Everyone around me seemed rather glum. I couldn't stand it. I had to act energetic and hopeful…maybe it would rub off on them.

"Gaara!" A girl screamed as she flung the door open suddenly. All eyes turned to her, and I couldn't help but giggle. Aki had mistaken Sasori for Gaara, and ran up to hug him. I laughed at her, but wondered how she could possibly make such a mistake.

"Aki, you might want to take another look."

I could hear Naruto and Deidara's voices behind her, and knew Itachi was shaking his head right now. She stepped back, and I looked at Sasori. He was blushing more than Hinata would be right now. Gaara glared.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry Sasori! It's hard to see since my eye was put out…I guess my perception is off."

"Whoa wait hold the phone!" I yelled as she began to walk toward Gaara. "Just where the hell is my hug?" She laughed as Naruto came in, followed by Deidara and Itachi. She hugged me, and I got a good look at her eye before she was pushed aside by Deidara. No wonder she was blind; her whole eye was cut straight through I pushed the thought aside as she hugged Garra, though it didn't look very sincere.

I smiled as I looked up at Deidara. Right now, it didn't matter that we were in a room full of other people. All I could see was him, and all he could see was me. I pulled him down roughly, and pecked him on the lips. Naruto came from my other side and pulled me into a bear hug.

"Hey!" Kakuro yelled, shushing the noisy room. "Don't celebrate just yet! There's still a war going on right now, and Tobi is still at large!" This was a terrible reminder. Reality set in, removing all the mirth that was in the room a few moments ago faded. It was nice to experience joy for a change, even if it was only was a short period...

**Okay! Long update because I haven't updated in a while! Long as in close to 3000 words! I hope you enjoyed it. As always, review, follow, yada yada... You know the drill. ^-^**


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